Where I Feel Most Inspired
By Jonathan Baude
Writing can be pretty hard for me sometimes. If I'm not careful, I'll start to feel stuck—every word I can put together starts to feel trite and unoriginal or, at best, insignificant. (If you look closely, you'll notice that even this problem is trite and insignificant.) So to overcome my eternally unhelpful internal editors, I need to be in the right place—physically.
Some people can do this at home. Sitting, gazing pensively out the window, sipping a cup of Irish Breakfast, before thoughtfully scribbling down a few lovely lines of prose.
Others flourish in the coffee shop. Surrounded by the hubbub of their fellow humans, also sipping a cup of Irish breakfast, before tapping out the perfect bon mot.
I can't do either of these. Not really. At home, I become so bored so quickly. And with about eight different electrical devices on hand to distract me... I'm only so strong. The coffee shop's no help either. The sights and sounds are just too much. I quickly become this horrific combination of intrigued and irritated at the exact same time.
No, there's only one place that really gets my mind moving: the train.
The train is the perfect place to run away with my thoughts. Hurtling through town, there's an undeniable sense of momentum that keeps me on my toes. Surrounded by a group of people—quiet, stationary, so full of interiority—it's all potential energy. I feed off of it. I feel inspired, excited, creative, adventurous.
My home, my office, and many of my friends are all within about a one-mile radius and I don't need to take the train for much of anything. But some days, I'll take the train, just to think. It sure beats staying at home.